Nose
Perfumed and lifted nose showing mulberry, raspberry, red currant and complex notes of cedar and pouch tobacco. The pretty fruit aromas are further complemented by spicy, perfumed chalky oak characters.
Palate
Full body and sweet round flavours of cherry and other dark fruits, as well as melted chocolate, make the wine instantly appealing and easy to drink and is further complemented by well balanced tannins. The texture is luscious and then malt biscuit and spicy oak flavours on the finish complete a palate of great balance and length.
Growing Conditions
Mother Nature has her ways of amusing us and there is no better example than seasonal variations. After the extended, cool season of 2006, she served up almost the complete opposite in 2007. The latter year was consistently warm all the way through and led to one of the earliest harvests on record. These sorts of years are a dream for vineyard managers because the vines produce consistent growth, are rarely damaged by storms and always look healthy. Indeed they generally are healthier because disease pressure is much lower. So it was in 2007.
We coped with the warmth of 2007 but it produced some interesting outcomes with the harvest ripeness of the different varieties. The two earliest, Malbec and Merlot were picked slightly early for fear that they would ripen too quickly. Normally they would be harvested at a minimum of 13° Baume as a precaution against slightly green Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. On the other hand, the excellent conditions meant that the two later varieties could be left to safely ripen as much as necessary and both averaged well over 13° Baume. The net result was excellent ripeness and fruit depth across the range.
Bottling
30/7/2008
Winemaking
All fruit was hand picked and then de-stemmed into a combination of open and static fermenters. Open fermentations were hand plunged three times per day while static fermentations were gently pumped over twice daily and then hand plunged twice daily towards the end of fermentation. Maximum temperatures were set at 32°C. Batches were left on skins for a range of times – Cabernet Sauvignon for 12 days, Petit Verdot for 17 days, Malbec for 8 days and Merlot for 7 days. With all batches, pressing times were based on tasting and the emphasis was on the preservation of good fruit characters.
After pressing, all batches were racked to French oak barriques, 25% of which were new and continuing our limited use of new oak, so as not to dominate the fruit aromas. The wine stayed in wood until 8th July 2008, when all barrels were racked and blended in stainless steel. In preparation for bottling, fining trials were carried out but no improvement was found so the wine was not fined. It was then sterile filtered and bottled.Montgomery Brothers – Median harvest date 28th Feb 2007; ripeness 12.1° Baume
Glenmore – Median harvest date 1st Mar 2007; ripeness 13.4° Baume
Total quantity – 9.79 tonnes
Combined ripeness – 12.5° BaumeMontgomery Brothers – Median harvest date 14th Mar 2007; ripeness 14.2° Baume
Glenmore – Median harvest date 13th Mar 2007; ripeness 13.6° Baume
Total quantity – 41.98 tonnes
Combined ripeness – 14.0° Baume
Montgomery Brothers – Median harvest date 15th Mar 2007; ripeness 13.3° Baume
Glenmore – Median harvest date 17th Mar 2007; ripeness 13.7° Baume
Bantry Bay – Median harvest date 22nd Mar 2007; ripeness 14.2° Baume
Total quantity – 11.19 tonnes
Combined ripeness – 13.7° Baume
Glenmore – Harvest date 1st Mar 2007; 2.21 tonnes; ripeness 11.9° Baume
Appearance
Youthful, deep Blood Plum red, in bright condition.
